Smithsburg High takes a bite out of 'Dracula'

November 04, 2008|By MIKKEL WALLECH / Pulse Correspondent

SMITHSBURG - Halloween might be over, but don't tell that to the students at Smithsburg High School.

Members of the Smithsburg Drama Club have chosen to present "Dracula" for their annual fall production. The play, which is based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, will be much darker than those the school has chosen to perform in the past, but that's what's so exciting, according to Lisa Speck, the drama boosters' publicity person.

"Dracula" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 at Smithsburg High School. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for senior citizens, students and children 12 years and younger.

"The school usually puts on bright, happy plays, so I am very excited to see how this turns out," Speck said. "We have a lot of new students and parents and we're hoping this type of play will generate some more interest in our program."

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Aside from the tone of the play itself, a change audience members will notice is that dessert is not served while they watch the play.

"In the past we have done a dessert theater, but this time concession and baked desserts will be available during the intermission," Speck said.

One thing that remains the same, she said, is the raffle for the "Comfy Couch." Speck said tickets for the couch will be raffled off at $1 a piece and the winner will get to sit with their family on the couch, which is in front of the stage.

According to Speck, those on the couch and in the audience will witness a play that has a bigger cast with a lot of new members, but a familiar face will be Joe Waeyaert, the senior playing Count Dracula.

Joe said he shares Speck's excitement for the play and hopes audience members will be excited as well. "I have acted in six plays at Smithsburg High and this is different from anything the school has ever done before," he said. "This is a more serious play for us, and aside from it being a nice change of pace, it will allow audiences to see that we can perform serious plays as well as the comedies they are accustomed to seeing us perform."

Waeyaert said this play is also exciting for him because it has challenged him and forced him to become a better actor.

"Dracula's personality is nothing to what I am like as a person, so to prepare myself for the role I've researched the history of Dracula and read a lot of things to try to make myself a little creepier," Joe said. "There have been so many versions of Dracula, I just want to make this my own."

Speck said one of the reasons "Dracula" was chosen was that student and parent volunteers built a castle for a play they performed last year, and the fact that they would be able to use that castle again for the show, sort of sealed the deal.

Whatever the reason the show was chosen, according to Speck, the goal remains the same: "We just want people to be entertained and to draw some more attention to the drama club."